Conflict of interest? Never!

Last week's merger between ChevronTexaco and Unocal has raised some suspicion among advocacy groups. The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights has cried foul, denouncing a cozy relationship between the Schwarzenegger Administration and ChevronTexaco. The energy company was a big campaign contributor and has allegiances in California's capital, with a former lobbyist appointed as Schwarzenegger’s chief of staff. Amid ever increasing evidence of republican misconduct and scandal surrounding House Majority Leader Tom Delay, The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights has called for an investigation into an all expense paid trip to Australia for high ranking state officials’, hosted by oil executives last year in an effort to sell the Administration on Liquefied Natural Gas, or LNG, as a new source of electricity for the state. With ChevronTexaco’s purchase of Unocal, a big supplier of Liquefied Natural Gas from pipelines in Asia, the company has much to gain by promoting LNG, as it seems poised to corner the international market. This would provide the company with the leverage and potential to follow in the footsteps of Enron, monopolizing California’s energy and driving up prices by limiting supply...